The SOG PowerAccess is all new for 2017, and is perhaps the best looking multitool we have seen in a long time. With it's stonewashed finish and angular handles it is just as much a work of art as it is a tool, and as it features a pocket clip instead of a sheath, it is more likely to be there when you want it! The PowerAccess has been likened to one of SOG's previous designs, the PowerPlier, which is almost universally lauded as one of the best tools to ever come from SOG- and that's high praise indeed for a company that also brought us the original Tool Clip!

As a way to celebrate the opening of the new Multitool.org Store we are offering the brand new SOG PowerAccess for less than we are allowed to offer it for! You see, SOG (as well as most manufacturers) has this thing called Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) which keeps the playing field level for all SOG dealers, by providing a minimum price they are allowed to sell things for. More details on MAP pricing and what it means can be seen HERE if you are interested.

As a result, I cannot tell you the price, but I can say that it will cost you the (HINT- CLICK HERE --->)Secret of Life, The Universe and Everything, (<--- HINT- CLICK THERE) plus shipping, which will run about $8 for the US, and $10 for the UK and Canada. I ship worldwide, so if you want a shipping quote to anything that isn't one of the above, send me a message at grant@multitool.org and I will do my best to find a reasonably suitable anwer for you.

So that we don't jeapordize the dealership arrangement for our fledgling store, we are conducting this business in secret- if you want a PowerAccess for this "too low to advertise" price, send me an email at grant@multitool.org and let me know you want in and I will respond with all of the info you need to know! Please make sure to get your order in by midnight on Thursday, April 6th, or I cannot be held accountable for what happens next!

Oh, and for the record, while this is technically contrary to the Official SOG Dealership agreement I signed, these are absolutely, 100% legitimate SOG products, not some knockoffs that fell off the back of the truck, and they will come with SOG packaging, full warranty etc. While they can't specifically endorse this sale, I have it on good authority that a reasonably important person at SOG (no names, must protect the innocent!) finds this whole promotion hilarous, and I have yet to see any black helicopters circling my house!

In an early morning announcement on Instagram, company founder Mick Strider states that after 25 years, Strider Knives is closing it's doors.

Fans initially thought this was an early April Fool's Day joke, but that does not appear to be the case. The full text reads:

25 years!Wait what?Twenty five years of the Mick and Duane show known as Strider Knives. Twenty five years of the He Man Woman Haters Club. Twenty five years of changing an industry. Twenty five years of employing our retired friends and supporting those still in the fight. Strider Knives is written into historyWe have been hated and loved and hated some more. I've been pondering over this post since January. I've come to the conclusion that it's just not possible to do in a single sitting. There's just too much. I will be writing about this for some time..... So here's the short Duane and I have decided to retire Strider Knives Inc. BLAM!

The last "Strider Knives" will be sold at Blade Show 2017, at the end of which we will strike the Strider Knives colors. I will continue to produce select items on a limited basis thru MSC as my "Classic Line". I will also continue warranty service on all Strider Knives products. Your guarantee is still valid. Duane and I made this decision because Strider Knives isn't the same. With he and I doing our own things, and our buddies having moved on to other things, we would rather finish strong then start doing the Indian casino circuit. When we started this there was a giant hole in the knife industry. We filled that hole. There are now plenty of knife makers building actual hard use knives, we have earned a rest. We started this ride with a PALS mentality and never once let off the gas pedal. I'm proud to say it was an epic ride with a hell of a lot of amazing Friends. Thank you all!!! PALS

Whatever the future holds for Mick and Duane is unclear, but I am sure that I speak for all of us when I wish them nothing but the best.

Ever have a secret that you want to tell but you can't? It gets a lot worse when it's a case of you can't tell yet. I have- in fact, I have been really resisting the urge to go public with something that we have been working on for a while, but it's finally time!

Yes indeed, we started our own store to facilitate all of your multitool, pocket knife and outdoors gear needs- oh yeah, and we have some super cool Multitool.org exclusive gear as well! You can get cool things like one of our Patent Series T Shirts, or a Tenth Anniversary Poker Chip, along with the latest SOG tools, all in the same place, and feel confident that the money you spend is going to support the greatest Multitool Collector and User Resource website on the planet!

But that's not all- until April 09, 2017 use the code MTOLAUNCH and get 10% off storewide!

And, with new products being added daily, keep checking back because you never know what you'll find!

The ending may surprise you somewhat, but it was absolutely, 100% as objective as I can personally get, and I stand by it. But, enough rambling about it- let's get down to it and find out once and for all, which multitool is better!

And, if you haven't seen the first three parts to this shootout you may want to check them out before this one:

The Leatherman One Handed Tool (OHT) is well known for having all of it's tools accessible with one hand. What they don't tell you is that you still need two hands, because half of the tools are accessible with your left hand, and half of them are accessible with your right hand. Conversely, only the bit driver and main blade on the Center-Drive are accessible with one hand. This makes the first point in Part 4 Leatherman's.

The other functions of each multitool all lock open- on the OHT they lock open with liner type locks while the Center-Drive uses Gerber's patented SAF-T-LOK system for everything but the bit driver that give the Center-Drive it's name. Both are even in this regard- neither one feels flimsy or inclined to fail, both are easy to release when desired

Screwdrivers

This one is a bit difficult to judge- nothing is as easy as it seems. On the surface, the Center Drive should take this one hands down, as the fold out screwdriver is so integral to it's instant success that it shouldn't have an issue dominating the screwdriver battle.

BUT...

Without the spare bits the Center-Drive is limited to two screwdrivers, the bit in the driver, and the bit in the carrier inside the handle. With the spare bits the Center-Drive is significantly more versatile, but then the sheath comes in a lot bulkier, but as we determined in Part 1, we aren't counting add on accessories in this competition.

Compared to the Center-Drive's two on board screwdrivers, the OHT has four- three flat heads and a Phillips head. The two dedicated flat heads are not too bad due to the great variation is size, but the third one on the strap cutter (discussed later) is a medium size, and somewhat pointless. I don't see there being many opportunities to use this one that couldn't just as easily be managed by either of the other two. And, there's some concern about twisting the rather thin blade if you put too much effort into it.

And, the dedicated flat heads are a bit stubby, but the Phillips is much nicer, with about an inch and a half of reach to get recessed screws almost anywhere, and being thinner than the bit driver on the Center-Drive it fits more places.

It's a tough decision here, much tougher than it should be considering that this is the main reason for the Center-Drive.

In the end I think this point has to go to Gerber. The bit driver adds versatility as bits are available everywhere, and to a Canadian like me, who encounters Robertson and Torx bits everywhere, that versatility matters. Plus, the Center-Drive ergonomics mean driving long screws is a lot easier on the wrist.

Bottle Opener

Both tools have gone in very different directions with the bottle openers. Leatherman put their standard can and bottle opener combo tool on the OHT, and, while it can be effective enough, I have never been a big fan of it. As a can opener it functions well enough, but I find that as a bottle opener it tends to just pierce the cap and not remove it.

Meanwhile the Center-Drive suffers from the same issue we looked at yesterday with the serrated blade- you have to deploy the plier head, open the handles, pull out the bottle opener, then close the handles and retract the pliers to use it, then repreat the process to put it away.

In reality it's not that bad, as, unlike the serrated blade, you can use the bottle opener with the handles open. Since it's a bottle opener, you won't cut yourself like you would with the serrated blade, and opening bottles is generally a quick operation.

Further, the Center-Drive opener is a lot more effective at pulling a cap off a bottle, which is largely the point of a bottle opener.

The Center-Drive bottle opener is also a light duty prybar, which is honestly something I personally use more than I need a can opener. One could argue that the flat head drivers on the OHT can be used for prying as well, but it does not have the nail puller notch or the angled cat's paw for leverage.

While the OHT bottle opener is easier to access, the fact that it is barely useful as a bottle opener and my lack of a personal need for a can opener means that the Center-Drive gets this point, despite being more involved to make use of it. The better function makes it worth the extra effort to get out.

Other Tools

It is hard to compare the remaining tools, as they aren't the same. Instead, I will rank them on their own merit, and award points based on whether they are useful or not.

The final tools on the OHT are a strap cutter and a wood saw, both of which are well made enough, although not perfect.

As mentioned above, the strap cutter has a medium flat head at the end, which I find rather flimsy feeling. I can't shake the feeling that the cutout for the blade makes it a bit thin to use as a screwdriver, and the heat treat would either make it too brittle to use as a screwdriver or too soft to have much of an edge on the blade. It really does have to be one or the other, and so while I appreciate the dual functions, I can't help but feel they are at odds with eachother.

And then they put a giant opening hole in the middle of it.

Even more awkward is the fact that the outer point of the cutter sticks out a bit too far. If you try to use this while cutting clothing away from an injury, it seems all too easy to accidentally hook something you don't want to.

All in all, I really can't give them a point for the cutter. I think it was a good idea to have one, I just think this is the wrong way to do it.

So, that brings us to the OHT's wood saw. It is a typical Leatherman saw with good, bi-directional teeth and it cuts well. It does however suffer from being stubby, as many tools on the OHT do. Still, it is functional, despite not really being able to get a good draw on it, so Leatherman gets a point. You can see in the above photo that my OHT saw has been well used, most recently with drywall!

The Center-Drive actually has either two or three other features, depending on whether you count a lanyard attachment. Ordinarily I am not a fan of plastic lanyard attachment points, but this one does seem about as solid as it could possibly get, and so I am forced to admit that it's a good thing on the Center-Drive. And, if like me, you aren't likely to use it as a lanyard attachment point, it makes a very handy ramp to make it easier to pull out of the sheath, especially when you carry it horizontally in the sheath. Point for Gerber.

Inside the handles you have an awl, which is very robust and pointy and a two sided file.

The awl is not bad, but not good either. It is very thick and comes to a really wicked point, but it isn't sharpened and it doesn't have a sewing eye, two things that would have been very easy to include. I also find it a bit on the bulky side, and honestly I am not sure what use I would get out of it- because it's so hefty, I can't help but feel that I might as well use the blade, which is much easier to access. Sorry Gerber, no point for you!

Lastly we have the file. As has been speculated before, the Center-Drive is meant for mechanics and tinkerers, and so the file is a good thing to have. Personally I rarely find myself using the file for much of anything, and when I do use them, I am usually kind of picky. I would have loved to see a diamond file on this one, and, if not a diamond then at least put metal saw teeth on the bottom, like other manufacturers do with their saws. It seems that, without a method of cutting PVC, aluminum or light gauge steel pipe that this one really missed the mark, especially considering the target market. Honestly, I would rather see a nice pair of Fiskars scissors in there- Gerber doesn't seem to use that resource as much as they should these days.

I really want to award this point to Gerber since the file is absolutely good for what it is and what it is meant for, but like the awl, I would have liked to have seen something better or something different. Harsh I know, but again, I just can't give it to them.

Score:

Today:Leatherman 2Gerber 2

Total:Leatherman 9Gerber 9

Part 4 Summary:

There you have it- a dead tie.

Yeah, it surprised me as well.

I personally would never choose the OHT as I really don't like it. It is absolutely not Leatherman's finest creation by far, and, while it seems like I have been against Leatherman from the start of this, the fact is, even when they don't make a good tool, they make a good tool. There are lots of other Leatherman models that I do like (very much) so I am not a Leatherman hater by far- I just don't like this particular tool. But, in the end, it put up a good fight and has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

The Center-Drive is a tool I like, and I enjoy using. It has quickly become a part of my regular rotation, right up there with the Leatherman Surge, which is one of those models that I alluded to when I said I liked Leatherman products very much. What Gerber has produced here is an excellent tool that I fully recommend to anyone, both because it is a solid tool, and because if you did have problems with it, Gerber's customer service has proven time and again to be absolutely top notch- not to suggest Leatherman's is any different, but again, I don't care for the OHT and (personally) wouldn't recommend it to anyone, despite it's excellent showing in the above examination!

Summary

In the end, you really can't go wrong with either of these tools, if I'm to be honest. As we've seen, they both have their strengths and weaknesses, and my best suggestion if you are trying to decide between these two is to read through the detailed analysis I have posted above, decide which functions you need or want, and make your choice based on which one has the most strengths that go in line with your needs. Then, if you have the opportunity, handle both of them and see which one you are more comfortable with.

As much as I personally prefer the Center-Drive to the OHT, I really wouldn't be upset if I was stranded somewhere with either of them- because honestly, I would rather have either of them than nothing else, and both will do almost any job you need doing.

There you go- I hope you all enjoyed reading this series as much as I enjoyed writing it. It originally was supposed to be one post, but as I started really looking at things and picking out details the post just kept getting longer and longer and longer. Still, getting all the photos together, organising my thoughts, searching through the tiniest details and following up on getting accurate details was a lot of fun even though it was also a fair bit of work.

And, I just finished the write up an hour or so ago, and I am just as surprised by the outcome as anyone! If you have any comments, questions or to have your own say on this, we have a great forum for that!

To continue our epic battle between large sliding head plier tools from both Leatherman and Gerber, today we are looking closely at the blades. Since both tools feature plain and serrated blades, we thought we would put them together and see how they stack up. Since blades are among the most used functions on a multitool we thought it was only fitting to dedicate an entire battle to just them.

As we begin, both the Center-Drive and the One Hand Tool (OHT) are tied at six points after Leatherman's early lead in Part 1 and Gerber's almost total domination in Part 2. Both tools are going to try to pull ahead today, as the final challenge is tomorrow, and time is running out!

Part 3- Blades

Overview:

Both the Leatherman OHT and the Gerber Center-Drive feature one handed opening plain blades and serrated blades. Each blade came very sharp, and all four are similar varieties of stainless.

Main Blades:

There are a lot of similarities between these two blades- both are one handed opening with holes , both open smoothly, both have a dropped point blades, and both lock open with a satisfying click of their liner locks.

However, there is a very noticeable difference in size between the Center-Drive's 80mm blade and the OHT's 60mm one. If you don't know how big 20mm is, and it isn't obvious from the photos, that's roughly the width of a thumb. Also known as a HUGE difference. I don't see how I could not award this point to Gerber, and honestly, you shouldn't be very surprised about that.

But, if I'm being honest, I find the Center-Drive's blade a bit too large, and I would rather see it a bit smaller- but then I would also like to see the blade on the OHT a bit bigger. If I'm being totally honest, I would really like a blade somewhere between the two, but I'm still giving that point to Gerber and there's a simple reason why.

I would rather have a bigger blade than a smaller one, especially when you look at the size of the handles versus the size of the blade. The Center-Drive at least seems to be somewhat balanced- a large tool with a large blade, versus the OHT which is a large tool with a tiny blade.

It almost seems like Leatherman put it there as a joke. Surely they could have eliminated one of the flatheads and put in an actual blade worthy of such a large tool.

Serrated Blades:

The serrated blades on each also follow very similar lines- both are sheepsfoot blades with similar serrations- one large scallop, two small scallops and repeat.

But, there are large differences between the two- the most obvious being that the Leatherman serrated blade is able to be opened from the outside, while Gerber's is tucked inside the handle. The OHT's serrated blade locks open with a liner lock, identical to the one that holds the main blade open, and the Center-Drive's blade is held open by Gerber's SAF-T-LOK system.

But, while it appears that the Leatherman is a serious win for being accessible outside, but not all other things are equal. For example, the OHT blade is at the thicker end of the handle (Pivot end where the pliers are is thinner) and is one of the “left hand” accessible blades. That means that right handed people will have to access it in one of the following ways:

The first method negates the one handed opening features of this multitool, and the other two methods potentially compromise grip.

Putting a further nail in the OHT, the Center-Drive's blade is slightly longer, providing more cutting area, and, as I said above, I do like a bigger blade.

I want to call this one a draw, but in the end, I have to give the point to Leatherman here. The blade on the Center-Drive is just not large enough to justify the extra amount of effort necessary to slide the plier head out, open the handle and extend the blade, then closing the handle and sliding the plier head back in to use it, then repeating the whole mess to put it away.

But, there's one other major issue to the serrated blade- it's on the wrong side.

If you assume that there's a 45 degree angle coming out of the lowest point of the handle and contacting the blade, you notice a HUGE discrepancy, and the lower handle gets in the way of cutting. The Center-Drive blade may be bigger, but it isn't that much bigger.

Many years ago, Victorinox used that as a metric when promoting their new line of plier tools, with outside accessible blades that were flat, versus the inside the handle blades on Leatherman models. It appears that Leatherman has learned that lesson well, and used it to score.

Score:

Today:Leatherman 1Gerber 1

Total:Leatherman 7Gerber 7

Part 3 Summary:

At the end of Round 3 the score is still tied between them. Personally I am still on side with the Gerber Center-Drive, but, being objective, even I have to admit they still seem very well matched. The serrated blade competition, when taken solely on the blades themselves would have been awarded to Gerber for being slightly larger, but the relative inconvenience of access really hurt it. Leatherman didn't so much win that point as much as Gerber lost it.

Tomorrow will be the fourth and final battle, with both contenders going into the fight confident. Any advantage that one has over the other may be enough to pull off the overall win, but with the score still tied, it is anyone's match.

And yes, I have been resisting the urge to call this part "The Rumble with the Thumbhole." Say it outloud. I dare you not to laugh.

To complain about the above joke, check out our forum! Otherwise, I will see you here tomorrow for the Sudden Death Finale of this nail biter!

Yesterday I brought you the first part of the epic battle between the Gerber Center-Drive and the Leatherman One Hand Tool. When the smoke cleared from Round 1, Leatherman stepped out with three points, completely shutting out Gerber and their Center-Drive. With that much of a lead right out of the gates, can Gerber come back? The contest is far from over, so let's find out in Round 2.

Part 2- Pliers

Overall:

Both the Center-Drive and One Hand Tool (OHT) have similar pliers in that they are both of the sliding head variety, both have removable/replaceable wire cutters and both are sprung, which means when the handles are released, the pliers spring open.

The OHT head is much thinner than the Center-Drive's head, and seems very disproportionate to the handles. Additionally, the percentage of the head that is cut out to accommodate the replaceable cutters is more significant on the OHT than the more robust head of the Center-Drive, potentially providing a weak point during hard use. The first point goes to Gerber.

The Cutters:

The OHT does have a slightly greater surface area on the cutters, which would be an advantage, but the Gerber cutters can be rotated to present a fresh surface when one surface gets dull or damaged. This provides the Center-Drive with a longer potential lifespan than the OHT cutters. Another point to Gerber.

When it comes to replacement costs, the Center-Drive cutters cost over twice as much as the Leatherman versions, at $23 for Gerber and $10-$10.50 for Leatherman, depending on whether you want stainless or black oxide. Given that Gerber has almost three times the potential lifespan, I feel that this evens out.

Both sets of replacement cutters come with two blades (complete set), replacement screws and a #8 Torx Wrench to perform the replacement with. It is noteworthy that Gerber includes four screws, while Leatherman only includes two. This could be a benefit, as screws have a habit of falling and getting lost, but could also be considered excessive as you still have the original two screws in the tool to begin with. This is a marginal point for Gerber.

The Pliers:

The OHT plier jaws open significantly wider than those found on the Center-Drive, giving Leatherman their next point. Further, the jaws of the OHT themselves, while thinner, do come to a finer needle nose point, giving Leatherman their second point.

Conversely to the comment above, the OHT handles also open significantly wider than the Center-Drive's handles, which makes them less comfortable to use for those with smaller hands, and limits the benefits of the wider opening plier head. If one's hands don't stretch that far then the pliers cannot be used in the fully open position.

Further, the Center-Drive's handles are actually thinner than those of the OHT, allowing them to be gripped better, and the width point that Leatherman won in Part 1 for being smaller was actually due to the large lanyard ring adding to the Center-Drive's width. The Center-Drive takes another point for actually being more comfortable to use.

Given that both pliers are sprung, the Gerber takes another point from the Leatherman as the Leatherman's spring is exposed, and the potential for breakage, gumming up, corrosion etc is much greater than that of the recessed spring in the Center-Drive's plier head.

Plier Access:

Both plier heads slide open with a flick of the wrist- or at least that is what both manufacturers claim. The mechanism and function of both is very similar, but they are not the same.

The OHT plier head has two release buttons, one on either side, while the Center-Drive only has one. This in and of itself does not really make one better or worse than the other, but the details will matter in a moment.

In the past, some of Gerber's sliding head plier designs have suffered from sliding open inadvertently, most notably the Octane, which was carried on a pocket clip, with the head pointed down. This is not an issue with either of these tools, however the OHT has a small lock to ensure that if it should loosen up over time it still won't slide out. This is a point in Leatherman's favor.

When actually attempting to flick the pliers out, I have personally averaged 2-3 flicks to get the OHT head out, versus only 1-2 flicks for the Center-Drive. One could say that there is perhaps some technique involved, but I have carried and used the OHT much more than I have the Center-Drive, so the advantage should go to the OHT. But, in actual practice, the results lean towards the larger, heavier head of the Gerber, and it gets this point.

Score:

Today:

Leatherman 3

Gerber 6

Total:

Leatherman 6

Gerber 6

Part 2 Summary:

It should come as little surprise that the Gerber version of the sliding head pliers function better than Leatherman's- after all, Gerber has been refining the design since the 1990's and they have produced many different versions of it in the MP600 series alone-blunt nose, needle nose, extended fishing pliers, molded cutters, replaceable cutters- they even did interchangeable head versions, although technically speaking those weren't retractable.

Given that Gerber had a huge advantage in this section, it is a major testament that Leatherman managed to score any points at all.

As always, feel free to discuss your thoughts on this, or any other topic in our forum.

We all saw Gerber's marketing surrounding the release of the Center-Drive, and amongst the images of tattooed craftsmen re-imagining old world techniques and blending in modern technology, we saw the Center-Drive compared to both the Wave and the OHT. While Gerber's marketing may have been over the top, I don't think it was any worse than Leatherman showing soldiers carrying the OHT, despite the OHT never having been issues to troops anywhere, despite it having been designed specifically to try an usurp Gerber's hold on sliding head plier tool contracts with the military.

I guess what I am saying, is that when you cut out the marketer bullpoo and actually concentrate on the tools themselves, which one is better? Are they both hype, or are they both on the level? Or, one of each?

As it is well known that I really like the Center-Drive and really dislike the OHT, I am going to keep my opinions out of it, and just point out the facts and score objectively, so that each of you can decide what would work best for you.

Leatherman wins on size, weight and price, giving them three points to Gerber's zero. The size was not a major win for Leatherman, as in some cases it was less than half of a millimeter smaller, but it was overall smaller. The OHT was also lighter by 6.3g, which for those that aren't familiar with grams, is about 1/5oz, or the weight of a quarter. Still, a narrow victory is still a victory.

With regards to pricing, the Center-Drive in this test is the top of the range model, which includes the bit set and larger sheath. However, as the sheaths and bit sets will not be part of this testing at any level, the Center Drive could be reduced to the cheaper version, as the tool itself is identical. Even comparing the cheapest version of the Center-Drive to the top of the range OHT (which is also the case), the OHT still wins by a wide margin of roughly $29 in the difference.

Earlier this week Leatherman Tool Group's legal department issued a Cease and Desist letter to the popular tool modification company Texas Tool Crafters regarding the use of Leatherman trademarks. We do not know the exact content of the letter, however there are several issues being speculated on.

The most common reason for an action like this is brand protection, and it is believed that Leatherman is of the opinion that the folks at TTC are using the Leatherman brand in unauthorized ways, reulting in the order. Further speculation includes quality and warranty issues, both of which can affect how the Leatherman brand is represented, and affects tool costs.

Texas Tool Crafters (TTC) has modified tools with alternate blade materials and various coatings on components to create higher end tools out of standard Leatherman tools. They do work wth other brands as well, however until now Leatherman products appear to have been the majority of their product line.

Recently Victorinox sent a number of these types of letters to members of the modding community for their use of the Victorinox name and logo, and it is important to note that these companies are not "beating on the little guy." Like any company, they have to protect their brands, their interests, and by extension their employees, and this often starts with ensuring that their products are represented properly in the market. Warranty claims on tools that have been modified are a cost that these companies should not be responsible for, however they then risk upsetting (and possibly losing) the customer with the broken tool, and represents a no-win situation for the manufacturer who has done nothing wrong.

It is a bit surprising that Leatherman has waited this long to enforce the legitimate use of their brand, however there has been speculation both on our forum and on Facebook that Leatherman has a new legal team, and they are interested in making a name for themselves. Whether this is a reality or merely some upset ranting we cannot confirm, however we support Leatherman's attempt to protect their brand, and we hope that TTC can find a way to continue their operation in a manner that satisfies all parties.

Like all the major manufacturers, Leatherman has an exceptional warranty- at least in the USA. Recent issues in the Philippines has brought to light some concerns about Warranty Services outside of the US, and may be of interest to many of our international readers- and a warning to US readers as well, as it brings to light an interesting point that you may not have considered.

It started with Philippino Leatherman fans being upset in a Philppino Leatherman page on Facebook because the local importer refused to provide warranty work on any Leatherman tools in the Philippines that were not purchased directly through them. In this day and age of eBay purchases, this is not surprising that many people will have purchased their tools online, which in the Philippines would render the warranty invalid. A Philippino member of our forum contacted me about this and I forwarded their concerns on to a contact at Leatherman, and was told it would be passed on to the correct department, and that was the last I'd heard on the subject.

Then THIS THREAD showed up on our forum, and I am including the screen shots directly.

As you can see, Leatherman does not consider the warranty valid on tools purchased outside of their Authorized Dealer Network, which does make some sense.

However, reading through the letter it appears that they are willing to honor the warranty on the tools, provided they are mailed directly to the US, which can be a costly and very time consuming process from the Philippines and other parst of the world.

Interestingly, it seems as if Leatherman Head Office is willing to apply the warranty on tools purchased outside of the Authorized Dealer Network within the US as they do not require proof of purchase.

The below screenshot from the Philippino Importer's site confirms that they will not honor the warranty on tools purchased outside their dealer network.

Mr. Hahn also responded in the Facebook group.

So how does this affect you? Well, if you are in the US, it probably does not affect you much, however for any of our readers outside the US (myself included, as I am Canadian) I strongly reccomend that you visit the website of the Authorized Importer for your country or region and find out what limitations they have added to Leatherman's otherwise iron clad warranty service.

If you would like to share your comments or ask any questions regarding this or any other items we have posted here, please feel free to visit OUR FORUM or email me at grant@multitool.org directly.

You often see those silly little folding shovels from Gerber and SOG, the generic cheapos in Army Surplus stores and eBay and you wonder just how good they are? I mean they are probably okay in sand and soft dirt, but really, what good are they when things get hard? And yes, I mean hard, not difficult. Specifically, I mean rock hard, packed down, super frozen ice. The kind that starts as water (duh) then freezes, then has a huge weight placed on top of it, is occasionally warmed up slightly and refrozen until it is as dense as it can possibly get. In Canada we call it simply "winter."

I decided to give the Gerber Gorge folding shovel a bit of a workout and see just how much it was up for before it cried for mercy. As you can see in the above photo, we have a decent amount of snow, and I park my Jeep under the overhang of the landlord's garage. If you look closely, you can see there's not much clearance between the top of my Jeep and the overhang.

There's only about four inches in between, which is bad when there's 4-6 inches of compacted snow and ice underneath- as I drive out I run the risk of damaging my fiber glass top and the overhang of the garage, and neither of those is a good thing. So, I need to dig out around my parking space so I don't have to keep parking as wide as you see in the above photo and annoying the guy who uses the space I am currently hanging over in. It's a serious job- I hope the Gorge is up to it, because all I have for a snow shovel is a pusher type with a plastic blade, and it is no good at all for chipping ice or packed snow!

It helps if you know how to use one of these small shovels- and yes, there is a technique to it. First off, you have t be on the ground. I find getting on my knees works best- at my age that is often painful, but luckily for now this job comes with built in ice packs, so I'm okay.

Once you are down, grab the shovel with both hands (one on the shaft, one on the end) and ram the blade down repeatedly into the snow and ice (or sand or dirt, whatever you are digging into) to break it up, then scoop it out with the shovel. It's actually very effective when used this way, and as you can see, it dug in quite deeply over and over again. The only drawback was that after repeatedly striking the hard ice, the hand that was over the butt of the shovel started to hurt.... but then what do you expect when you repeatedly hit something hard? It's not the shovel's fault, and in fact the shovel was up for a lot more, as the edge of the shovel didn't even get dinged, and at no point did it feel like it was going to break, collapse or fold. My bones were a different story!

As you can see, the Gorge was excellent at chiselling away a lot of hard packed snow, and I was able to clear a large area with relative ease. Yeah my hands hurt a bit, but kneeling allowed me to keep my back almost completely straight through the whole thing and so I am not as worn out as I could be after an activity like that.

In fact, it is such an excellent Jeep accessory, it looks like the Jeep was built for it!

Since I'd only gotten some of the snow up and the ice was still underneath I figured I would put down some sand for traction, and again, the Gorge helped out nicely so I didn't have to get my hands dirty. You may not know this about me, but as I worked in a lot of restaurants in my younger days I am a compulsive hand washer, and I can't honestly tell you how much I appreciate an opportunity to not get too dirty...

Now that I had some decent traction I could move the Jeep out of the spot and start cleaning up the sides of my parking space- and let me tell you, the hard work was just beginning! You can see from the above picture just how thick the ice was under the snow- and how solid. The ice was just over an inch thick, plus the hard packed snow on top. The only reason I managed to break the ice here is because it is right under where the hot engine is when I get home.

After using the Gorge to break up the hard packed snow and some of the ice that would cooperate, this is the mess I was left with. I decided this was a good time to switch tp the pusher shovel, as moving several hundred pounds of snow with the tiny blade on the Gorge was far beyond the amount of sanity I had left for this job!

Even with the pusher it was a bit of work to move it all, but it was a lot easier than the alternative! Once the broken up hard packed snow and ice chunks were moved you could get a sense for how deep the Gorge was able to dig.

Not too shabby for a little folding shovel, is it? :pok:

Especially when you consider that every time it was thrust in, it hit some very hard and very unyeilding ice or, in some places, the frozen asphalt underneath. This little shovel is a beast in a very small and convenient package, and at no time during the process did I think it wasn't up to the task. Here's the finished space:

Not too shabby indeed! Congratulations Gerber, and thanks for making a shovel that is as tough as a Canadian Winter!